Youth want to be M’sian first

KUALA LUMPUR: We want to be united by our Malaysian identity – that is the message Malay­sian youth want to tell the Government during a Transf­ormasi Nasional 50 (TN50) dialogue.

Emerging from a three-hour dialogue at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) yesterday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the youngsters wanted to be seen as Malaysians first.

“They talk about being proud Malaysians, with our unique and diverse culture. We (the Govern­ment and the youth) share core values such as respect, unity and harmony.

“More importantly, we share a common value that came from working together as Malaysians, after our forefathers who built this nation 60 years ago.

“It is now our turn to bring it to new heights,” Liow said at a press conference after attending the event with Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy said the wish to see a united Bangsa Malaysia was a recurrent theme in the TN50 dialogues.

“They (the youth) want Bangsa Malaysia to menyerlah (outshine) that of race and ethnicity.

“It shows that the younger generation wants all barriers demolished to make Malaysians not only tolerant of one another but respect and celebrate diversity,” he added.

Yesterday’s event was the first TN50 dialogue held at an institution of higher learning with a Chinese-majority student population.

Khairy said this was to allow TN50 to reflect the aspirations of youth across various races in Malaysia.

More than 1,000 students joined the event. They raised concerns ranging from housing affordability, rising inflation, poverty in Sabah, education and environment to the Malaysian identity.

TN50, an initiative by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, was to gather the aspirations of some 1.5 million youth in the country for Malaysia’s 2050 National Trans­formation roadmap.

Meanwhile, speaking during a Malaysian Chinese Business and Sports Association dinner in Seri Kembangan on Sunday, Liow, who is MCA president, said Barisan Nasional’s formula of success was the consensus that it practised, unlike the Opposition, which he added, was only to pursue its own agenda.

“Barisan has developed the country with various transformation programmes and we also have good relations with China, Saudi Arabia and India,” he said, urging the people to throw their support behind MCA.

“The Chinese strength should not be at the corridors of power; it should be at centre stage,” he said. -star